so i have about an hour long commute, one-way. it gives me plenty of time to think. recently, i've been thinking more and more about what would i want 20 or 30 years from now? or more importantly, what would someone like ME want 20 or 30 years from now?

looking at all of the cars that we have on this site, some of them are extremely rare and significant (like GTR's, cosmos, etc..)...

but then there are the "normals".. like base model civics, corollas, etc... yeah, a lot of people are looking at all the "special" cars that are being released today saying that they will be "collectible" in the future.. but what about all of those "throwaway" cars that normal people are driving, that 20 years from now you won't be able to find?

take my wifes' 08 Fit Sport, for instance. we can kind of compare it to a mid-70's CVCC 5 speed.. back in the 70's, the CVCC 5 speed was kind of the sport model and EVERYWHERE... but when's the last time you've seen one NOW? luckily, our Fit will honestly still be with us 20 years from now. likewise, barring anything from happening to MY daily a 91 civic Si, it too will be a "classic"..

but what other cars out there do you think you'll be looking for 20 or 30 years from now saying to yourself, " i could have bought one of THOSE new!!"...

mazda 2? civic? corolla? an un-modified evo? (HA!!)

i mean, look at what we are getting all tight-pants for!! mid-80's cressida? yeah, NOW it's awesome, back then? nothing special!

heck, i'm searching out a late 70's, early 80's 2wd base model hilux!! thousands of new ones are sold every day just to end up in the scrapyard years from now. it's just interesting to think of.

10 years ago I was arguing with the "experts" over @ club 4ag that the AE86 would sell for $10 grand+.... everyone laughed @ me.... but having owned a few 60s cars that are now worth hens teeth, I kinda knew better.

The easiest one of them all(new cars to keep) is the FT86.... not by me, but the hype around it is just too much for it not to be worth something.

The Solstice hardtop - already appreciating in value (All Solstice and Sky models to some degree)

One of the PBS programs ran a story about new technologies in auto making, with a lot of time dedicated to emerging biodegradable auto parts. The people in charge have determined that cars are disposable, which is a benefit to the people selling cars, so they fall right in line. The program spotlighted the soybean foam seats and mushroom foam center consoles of the new Fords. So there won't be any Ford cars left in 20 years to collect, they literally rot out from under you from the day you drive them off the showroom floor.

Maybe those of us who keep cars for a lifetime can special order the non-biodegradable model...
I suppose those will be in the showroom right next to the special edition model that does not fall to pieces one day after the warranty runs out.

One of the PBS programs ran a story about new technologies in auto making, with a lot of time dedicated to emerging biodegradable auto parts. The people in charge have determined that cars are disposable, which is a benefit to the people selling cars, so they fall right in line. The program spotlighted the soybean foam seats and mushroom foam center consoles of the new Fords. So there won't be any Ford cars left in 20 years to collect, they literally rot out from under you from the day you drive them off the showroom floor.

Maybe those of us who keep cars for a lifetime can special order the non-biodegradable model...I suppose those will be in the showroom right next to the special edition model that does not fall to pieces one day after the warranty runs out.

^ Big part of the reason why I bought a Mazda2 over the Fiesta. I never thought I'd see the day where I'd say, "No, my car is quality, it's made out of REAL plastic," but there it is. It's also nice to drive a car nearly devoid of the electronic babystitters that are "necessary" nowadays. I recall reading, as a kid, "A Nice Morning Drive" by Richard S. Foster (Rush's "Red Barchetta" is apparently based off of it) and thinking it was patently ridiculous. Now it seems more feasible than world peace or cold fusion.

To return to the original post, I was incidentally reflecting on this issue just the other day. I drive through the city and see charming Isuzu P'ups, Toyota Hiaces, and numerous older Civics and contemplate that there are few cars available today that will be worth a damn in 20 years. In 20 years, the classics will be our B-segment compacts, and driver's cars like the current Mazda lineup. I think we will see a larger appreciation of '90s cars, like the Preludes and Celicas that guys like me grew up hoping to buy as our first new car when we had some money. Now, "green" is in, and we're stuck with Yarises and have Prii jammed down our throats. They don't even advertise cars anymore. The big deal now is a car that will read your Facebook to you while you drive to work.

Maybe the original Honda Insight will be hot stuff? The S2000? Obviously the Zs and GT-Rs will be special. Maybe what we need is a simple MR sports coupe/roadster built on a B-segment platform, and sold to the public as a stupid eco-sports car or some crap. They'll eat it up. But a tiny Fit-based S1500 would be a blast, no?

i enjoy my little 91 Si every day.. no airbags.. no power steering... no ac (right now..) no power windows... no power locks... no abs.. no traction control.. no cup holders... power sunroof though.. heck, the work van is more "appointed" than my car!

but what does "appointed" really account for? how many big gulps do you really need to drink at once?

20 years from now if there are any left the IS cars will be $$.. MRS? yeah.. miatas will be everywhere still. but that's a good thing... or will they be? i've been told that the miata is what the 510 used to be..

the biggest issue with todays cars is that there are just SO MANY produced every year. "back in the day" you could have one of 3500.. or 1500.. or heck, 1 of 50 was common.. now? "normal production" makes it so you have 1 of 24000 etc... yes, there will be future "collecters" but that's not the point of the topic...

it's the normal cars.. the ones that no one "wants". the ones that are great for a teenager.. or the one that you couldn't afford the better model. those cars, that we search for now from the 60's and 70's.. those are the ones we SHOULD be buying today, but we just aren't.. i guess there are just too many better options right NOW.. i mean, who would want to drive a base model Honda Civic now, when you can get an upper level model? but in 30 years, we'll all be searching them out... maybe not Civics per-se, but i come from honda and mazda background.. gimme a break here!

i enjoy my little 91 Si every day.. no airbags.. no power steering... no ac (right now..) no power windows... no power locks... no abs.. no traction control.. no cup holders... power sunroof though.. heck, the work van is more "appointed" than my car!

but what does "appointed" really account for? how many big gulps do you really need to drink at once?

20 years from now if there are any left the IS cars will be $$.. MRS? yeah.. miatas will be everywhere still. but that's a good thing... or will they be? i've been told that the miata is what the 510 used to be..

the biggest issue with todays cars is that there are just SO MANY produced every year. "back in the day" you could have one of 3500.. or 1500.. or heck, 1 of 50 was common.. now? "normal production" makes it so you have 1 of 24000 etc... yes, there will be future "collecters" but that's not the point of the topic...

it's the normal cars.. the ones that no one "wants". the ones that are great for a teenager.. or the one that you couldn't afford the better model. those cars, that we search for now from the 60's and 70's.. those are the ones we SHOULD be buying today, but we just aren't.. i guess there are just too many better options right NOW.. i mean, who would want to drive a base model Honda Civic now, when you can get an upper level model? but in 30 years, we'll all be searching them out... maybe not Civics per-se, but i come from honda and mazda background.. gimme a break here!

Keep in mind too, the production numbers are higher because there's less choice. You can buy this or that "package." That's it. No more a-la-carte options. You can have it in black, white, silver, grey, or slightly different grey. No more fun colours.

SO many little gadgets and options that made cars unique.
Different interior fabrics, seat options, Trim levels that each had specific characteristics.

Now every damn car has a plastic & rubber interior,
Radios with gaudy knobs, Ugly wheels on 95% of production cars,
No aftermarket optioned items like how it used to be...
Idiot proof clusters with indicator lights instead of functional gauges,
Plastic clad engine bays with covers for everything...

No cool gadgets that talk & sing you happy birthday, Yea my MPG is cool & green, But how about you make me love you instead of me just driving you from point a to b.. There is NO thrill anymore

And what I hate the most,
Every trim level is basically the same exact car with just one or two features added..
Extra cupholders = LE, 6 disc changer with faux leather seats = SE...

With the exception of a few cars sport packages are essentially cars with bigger wheels, a lip & brake upgrades..

What happened to a Sports package also including better suspension, LSD, and a higher output or retuned engine.?

I HATE NEW CARS !
As far as I'm concerned, I don't see many cars of this era being " sought after " in 20 some odd years unless they're from the European market
Or a "RARE" limited edition model.. I use the word rare loosely here...

one thing i DO hate is when a manufacturer puts a "sports" package that you're just going to change everything anyways. if you are actually going to use the car for track, more than likely you will be changing out most of the stock parts anyways..

it's a like a Jeep. a lot of people that own Jeeps say the best Jeep you can have, is the one with the least amount of "Jeep" still in it.

I still remember when I was getting insurance for my 1978 Celica GT coupe, and my agent told me that rates were higher for the GT because it was a "high performance vehicle". I laughed and told him that the only real difference was the color of the dash trim panel, the differential, and a couple of emblems. He had no idea... and actually changed my rates to what they were supposed to be.

I HATE NEW CARS !As far as I'm concerned, I don't see many cars of this era being " sought after " in 20 some odd years unless they're from the European market

Y'all do realize everyone said these same things 25-30 years ago about the cars we love now, right?

If this was 1975, and we all were into '57 Chevys and '48 Fords we'd all be saying "in 30 years no one will care about any of the 200,000 Datsun 510s that are being sold right now. Maybe something rare and special like the 240Z, but no one will ever care about the 510 or the 1200".

Personally, I think there's absolutely no way to know what will be sought after and cherished 20 years from now. The Miata is probably a no-brainer, but anything else is a crapshoot.

You think there will be no nostalgia for the cars being produced currently because they are " too soft" and "plastic-y", but that's because you're judging them against the past.

No one knows what cars will be like in 30 years. There's a fairly good chance they will be such shit that people will long for the "old days" when they could own a simple Mazda2 or Nissan Versa. You know, "the good old days when you were actually allowed to drive the car yourself instead of being legally bound to leave it on auto-pilot".

True that, we will probably have auto-pilot or some government-overseer function.

So cars now are made outta mushrooms and poppyseeds or some sh*t? Instead of rusting, they'll just kinda swell up when it rains, parts will fall out, and you'll have this big puss-leaking mess slothing down the street with all manners of Monster-drink stickers on it and whatnot. Hellamush!

On a somewhat completely-unrelated note, I hope Chevy Aveo's are all dead and buried in 30 years.

On a somewhat completely-unrelated note, I hope Chevy Aveo's are all dead and buried in 30 years.

yes and no... yesterday, i went on a road trip through west VA for work, and i was excited that i saw two chevettes rusting in piece together.. i couldn't believe they had found each other and someone was nice enough to park them together...

On a somewhat completely-unrelated note, I hope Chevy Aveo's are all dead and buried in 30 years.

yes and no... yesterday, i went on a road trip through west VA for work, and i was excited that i saw two chevettes rusting in piece together.. i couldn't believe they had found each other and someone was nice enough to park them together...

HAHAHAHA how sweet!

Chevettes were FR, no? Good candidate for a fun car? The Aveo is good for nothing but death and dismemberment of those trapped within.